TABLE OF CONTENTS Inorganic polymers are macromolecular substances whose principal structural features are made up of homopolar interlinkages between multivalent elements other than carbon. Inorganic polymers do not preclude the presence of carbon-containing groups in side branches, or as interlinkages between principal structural members, and are mainly found in Nature, e.g., mica, clays and talc. Polysiloxanes, polyphosphazenes, polysilazanes, polygermanes and polystannanes are the most important classes of inorganic polymers from the applications point of view. High-molecular-weight polymers with inorganic elements in their backbone are attractive and challenging, because of their physical and chemical differences from their organic counterparts. These polymers offer a unique combination of high-temperature stability and excellent low-temperature elastomeric properties. In the following sections, recent developments in the thermal degradation of polysiloxanes, polyphosphazenes, polysilazanes, polysilanes and organic inorganic hybrid polymers are presented.
Polysiloxanes are the most common and one of the most important inorganic polymers used in polymer chemistry. The polysiloxanes are known for their useful properties, such as flexibility, high permeability to gases, low glass transition temperature and low surface energy. With such crucial properties, polysiloxanes are widely used in many applications; for example, the medical applications include prostheses, artificial organs, facial reconstruction, catheters, artificial skin, contact lenses and drug delivery systems, while the non-medical applications include high-performance elastomers, membranes, electrical insulators, water repellants, anti-foaming agents, mould release agents, adhesives, protective coatings, release control agents for agricultural chemicals, and hydraulic, heat-transfer and dielectric fluids. Dai and co-workers [a.302] have recently proposed the thermal degradation mechanism of polysiloxanes shown in...
